Shingle strip and method of making same



2 Sheets-Sheet l H R WOOD SHINGLE STRIP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Ongmal Flled May 15 1929 June 14, 1932.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 14, 1932. H. R. wooo SHINGLE STRIP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Original Filed May 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hcnfy R Wood INVENTOR BY J 4 Z ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY B. WOOD, OF SIERRA MADBE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- GHUSETTS SHINGLE STRIP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Original application filed Kay 15, 1929, Serial No. 863,322. Divided and this application filed December 31, 1930. Serial No. 505,706.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 363,322, filed May 15th, 1929, which has eventuated into Patent No. 1,812,424, dated June 30th, 1931.

This invention relates to roofing elements in the form of shingle strips and is particularly concerned with the production of roofing strips from continuous sheets of flexible roofing material.

The principal object of the invention resides in the production of roofing strips of generally rectangular shape having curvilinear exposed butt-edges so that when a number of such strips'are laid on a roof, an at tractive ornamental appearance approximating that of thatched roofs will be .produced.

Still. a further object of the invention is to provide the strips with means for effecting an interlock between adjacent strips in each horizontal course on thereof, and according to the preferred form of the invention, to form the cooperating interlocking portions in the shingle strips simultaneously with the severance of the strips from the sheet of roofing.

In accordance with the invention, the sheet is slit longitudinally thereof along a harmonic curvilinear path, defined by a circular knife mounted on a rotatable cylinder, the knife lying substantially entirely in one plane extending at an inclination to the axis of the cylinder, so that as the cylinder rotates the knife will follow a harmonic sinuous course. The curvilinear slit thusmade in the sheet provides complementary sections from each of which separate elements having curvilinear butt-edges may be severed. In order to form the end edges of the strips and complete the severance thereof from the sheet, straight parallel cutting blades are affixed to the cyhnder on opposite sides of the circular knife at diametrically opposed points. 1

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the cutting cylinder with the knives mounted thereon,

Figure 2 is a geometric development illustrating the relation of the circular knife to the rotatable cutting cylinder,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View in plan showing the path evolved by the circular knife of Figure 2 during half a revolution of the cylinder.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the layout of a number of shingles in the sheet when operated upon in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 5 is a showing of a section of a roof with several courses of shingle strips designed in accordance with the invention, laid thereon.

In practicing the invention, I prefer to use a sheet of rooting of such a width as will provide two pairs of complemental series of strips, as shown in Figure 4, the material for each of said series being slit longitudinally along a harmonic curvilinear path in accordance with the novel concept of the invention. In order thus to slit the sheet the cutting cylinder is mounted with its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the sheet, the latter being fed continuously between the cutting cylinder and a cooperating bed roll, (not shown). As will be evident, the diameter of the cutting cylinder will depend upon the length of the shingle strips desired and the number of strips to be severed longitudinally of the sheet durin each complete revolution of the cylinder. fn actual practise, I prefer to use a cutting cylinder of such a diameter that the circular cutting knife mounted thereon will.transverse during each revolution 8 thereof, a linear distance corresponding to the length of the strips desired.

The sheet material indicated at S, from which the shingle strips. are severed in accordance with my invention, may comprise the usual form of asphalt saturated and coated and mineral surfaced felt, or similar waterproof and preferably flexible material.

As shown in Figure 1, the rotatable cylinder, indicated by the numeral 20, has mounted thereon, the circular slitting knives 21 and 22,'each of these knives lying in a single plane which extends at an inclination to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. As will be clear. from Figures 2, 3 and 4, rotation of the cylinder will cause the knives 21, 22, to follow harmonic curved paths, as indicated at 21a, 22a, respectively, the amplitude of which will depend upon the angle of inclination of the planes in which the knives lie, respectively, to the axis of the cylinder. The wave length of the curves thus produced Will manifestly be equal. to the circumference of the knife blades. By

thus utilizing the mathematical principle governing the surface development of the intersection of a circle lying in a plane at an angle to the axis of a cylinder rotating on a fixed axis, I provide a very advantageous .method of cutting sheet material of the character of prepared roofing, along sinuous lines, and thereby avoid the necessity of employing warped or skewed knives to cut shingles of this character. The arrangement as thus described, renders possible a rapid, continuous operation upon the sheet without any ten-' dency of the sheet to weave or buckle under the action of the cutting knives.

Where two circular slitting knives as above described, are employed, I prefer to have the plane of the two knives extending in opposite directions with respect to the axis of the cylinder. In this way the tendency of the sheet to weave under the action of the knives is further eliminated. The use of two circular knives as illustrated, also makes it possible, if so desired, to have one of the slits 21a, 22a, of-diiferent amplitude from the other, merely by positioning the knives at difierentangles with respect to the axis of the cylinder.

- The curvilinear slits 21a and 22a as thus formed in the sheet, each produce the complemental butt-edges of a series of shingles on either side of the respective slits. As: will be understood from what has been said above and from the showing in the drawings, the

. sheet is of suflicient width to produce two the end ed pairs of longitudinal series of strips from the sheet, the separate pairs bemg separated from each other along a slit 23a, formed longitudinally in the sheet through the middle thereof, by a circular knife 23 extending circumferentially about the cylinder, intermediate the knives 21 and 22.

The cylinder is also provided with diametrically opposed cutting blades 24 and 25, arallel to the axis of the cylinder and exten ing on opposite sides of the circular lmife 21, and

with a slmilar pair of diametrically op osed blades 26 and 27 lying on opposite s1 es of the circular knife 22, the'knives 24 and 26 being shlghtly offset from each other circumferentia y of the cylinder and the knives 25 and 27 bemg similarly offset from each other. The knives 24, 25, 26 and 27 form the transverse cuts in the sheet as shown at 24a, 25a, 26a and 27a respectively, these cuts defining es of adjacent shingles in each longitudina series cut from the sheet.

simultaneously forming the shingle strips with slits adjacent the ends thereof, which slits are adapted to cooperate in the laying of the strips on the roof to interlock ad acent elements in each horizontal course. To this end, the cylinder 20 is provided on alternately opposite sides of each of the knives 24, 25, 26 and 27 with short knife blades 28, parallel to the knives 24 to 27 and spaced a slight distance therefrom, one extremity of the blades 28 being in close contact wit the circular knives 21 and 22. The cylinder is also provided on the opposite sides of the knives 24 to 27 with double angular cutting blades 29 lying in a direction generally at right angles to said blades. Each of the blades 29 has one of its elements intersecting knives 24 to 27 at a point in alignment with outer end of the blades 28 and extending at an angle toward the knives 21, 22; another and oppositely inclined element; and finally a short straight element parallel to the knives 24 to 27 and terminating a short distance from the knives 21 and 22. The blades .28 and 29 as thus disposed on the cylinder, form the slits 28a and 29a respectively in the several longitudinal series of' elements in the manner shown in Figure 4 of the drawin s. Preferabl also, the knives 24 to 27 terminate at a slig t distance from the knives 21, 22, and additional blades are fixed on the cylinder to form slits 30a, 31a, which to ether with the slits 21a, 22a, complete the ormation of small cutout pieces 32 in the sheeton alternately opposite sides of the slits 21a, 22a, as clearly shown in Fi re 4. 7

he shingles 33 as thus produced from the sheet of roofin material S, may be laid in successive over appin courses on a roof in the usual manner wit adjacent ends of the shingles in each course overlappin one another, as shown in Fi re 5, the slits 28a on one end of the shing e being engaged with the cooperating slit 29a on the ad acent edge of the adjacent shingle, to form an interlock between the two, as at 34, whereby to avoid lifting or blowin of the shin le un erthe action of the wind. As will. be 0 served from Fi ure 5, the vertical extent of exposure at a points on the roof, is alike, although this va. ries harmonically in a horizontal direction with the contour of the exposed butt edges. It will be understood, however, that at some portions of the roof the succeeding courses may be e osed to different extents than at other portions of the roof so as to obtain a diversified appearance in the finished roof. It will be noted also that by virtue of the overlapping and interlocking arrangement of adjacent ends of adjacent shingles in each coufi'lse, not only .is the tendency to lifting up or but that also the arrangement provides a I provide also means for corresponding of the exposed portions greater barrier to the entrance of water between the joints of adjacent shingles.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. A single element adapted to be laid with its major axis horizontal comprising a substantially rectangular strip of flexible waterproof material, one edge of said strip being substantially in the form of a harmonic curve, a slit spaced inwardly from one end of the strip and intersecting the curved edge of the strip and extending inwardly from said edge, a slit in the other end of the strip spaced from the curved edge and extending inwardly substantially in the direction of the major axis of the strip.

2. A shingle element adapted to be laid with its major axis horizontal comprisin a substantially rectangular strip of flexi le waterproof material, one edge of said strip being substantially in the form of a harmonic curve, one end of the strip being formed with an'angular slit extending inwardly from one side edge thereof, the opposite end of the strip being formed with a vertical slit parallel to the end edges of the strip and intersecting the butt edge thereof adjacent said opposite end, said sllts being adapted to form tabs for interlocking engagement between adjacent ends of adjacent strips in each course.

3. A shingle element adapted to be laid with its major axis horizontal comprisin a substantially rectangular strip of flexi le waterproof material, one edge of said strip being substantially in the form of a harmonic curve, and the end edges of said strip being parallel, a slit in the lower portion of said strip spaced from one end edge, intersecting the curved edge and extending inwardly from said curved edge, a substantially angular slit,

having one arm of the angle spaced from the curved edge, intersecting the other end of the strip and extending inwardly a short distance from said other end and the other arm of said angular slit extending at an angle to said first mentioned arm. 7

4. The method of severing shingle strips of curvilinear butt-edge configuration from sheet roofing material, which comprises slitting the sheet longitudinally thereof along a line representing a harmonic curve, and severing the sheet on opposite sides of said curvilinear slit along successive transverse lines of severance extending alternatel on opposite sides of said curvllinear slit. rom points adjacent the points of maximum amplitude thereof.

5. The method of producing shingle strips of curvilinear butt-edge configuration, which comprises slitting the sheet longitudinally thereof, along a line representing a harmonic curve, severing the sheet on opposite sides of said curvilinear slit along successive transverse lines of severance extending alternately on opposite sides of said curvilinear slit from points adjacent the points of maximum amplitude thereof, and cutting angular slits in the sheet on one side of each of said transverse lines of severance.

6. The method of producing shingle strips of curvilinear butt-edge configuration, which comprises slitting the sheet longitudinally thereof, along a line representing a harmonic curve, severing the sheet on opposite sides of said curvilinear slit along successive transverse lines of severance extending alternately on opposite sides of said curvilinear slit from points adjacent the points of maximum amplitude thereof, cutting angular slits in the sheet on one side of each of said transverse lines of severance and forming short straight slits on the opposite side of each of said transverse lines of severance, said last named slits intersecting the longitudinal curvilinear slit.

Signed at Sierra Madre in the county of Los Angeles and State of California this twenty third day of December A. D. 1930.

HENRY R. WOOD. 

